Conditioning
by ChastitySwayy
Summary: Chapter 2 is up! Claire institutes a new policy to make people stop hating the Demented Dentist's Chair. Please read and review!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Does anyone actually think that I own these characters? And if I were making any money off of this I wouldn't have just had to sign that huge promissory note for student financial aid. (shudder)  
  
  
  
Darien huddled in the exam chair, looking miserable, as Claire drew another vial of blood. "I hate this chair." He sighed.  
  
Claire smiled sympathetically. "Darien love, I'm sorry, I wouldn't do this to you if it weren't absolutely necessary."  
  
"I know. I just really hate this chair."  
  
"I suppose you've been conditioned to hate it over the last couple years. Every time you sit down in it you're put in pain."  
  
"When this is all over, and this gland is out of my head, can we burn it?" Darien asked suddenly.  
  
Claire removed the tourniquet from his arm, and put a small band-aid over the puncture mark. "We'll have a big party and roast it up in a bonfire pit." She promised.  
  
"Are we done?" Darien asked.  
  
"No. One more thing."  
  
"What?" He asked miserably.  
  
Claire held her arms out to him. "A hug. From now on everyone who takes a seat in this chair gets a hug. Maybe that will help condition you not to hate it so much."  
  
Darien smiled broadly and wrapped his long arms around Claire's waist, burying his face against her shoulder. She slid her arms around his shoulders, holding him close and laying her cheek against his spiky hair. After several minutes she felt his tight grip start to loosen, and pulled back.  
  
"Feeling better?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah." He rubbed a hand over his head, looking somewhat sheepish. "My hair's messed up now though."  
  
Bobby chose that moment to enter the room. "Ready to go partner?" He asked.  
  
Claire chuckled. "Go on, get out of here." She made shooing gestures at Darien.  
  
Darien hopped off the chair, sliding his jacket on. "Thanks Claire." He said sincerely, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading for the door.  
  
"What was that all about?" She heard Bobby ask as they went through the door, their voices echoing as they walked up the hallway.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You kissed her."  
  
"I was just being nice, don't be so paranoid man."  
  
Claire smiled to herself, pleased with the effect of her new policy. Some treatments were just as good for the doctor as the patient. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything else associated with the Invisible Man.  
  
Feedback: Yes please. I live for it.  
  
And now on to the story!  
  
  
  
"That's nice man, I like that."  
  
"Isn't it? I'm pretty keen on that one myself."  
  
Claire looked up to see Darien and Bobby enter the Keep. "Well hello gentlemen. What can I do for you this afternoon?"  
  
They halted, leaning against the counter looking at her. "Actually Claire, we have something for you." Darien told her, handing over a large file folder.  
  
"What's this?" She asked, starting to flip through the contents.  
  
"It's a little present from our pals at Chrysalis." Bobby told her.  
  
"How did you get this?" She was examining some papers closely.  
  
"We paid a little visit to one of their labs this morning. We can safely say that there are a few less Chrysalis scumbags out roaming the street." Darien answered.  
  
"That's always good news." She was already engrossed in reading something. "I'm surprised you thought to grab this for me."  
  
"Well, there's more on the way actually, but we saw that in with some stuff about Arnault and thought you might want it right away." Bobby told her. "They're still cleaning out the lab, everything else should be cataloged and start coming in later today or tomorrow."  
  
"Well, thanks for grabbing this right away; it will give me some new angles to work on with the gland." She glanced up. "Bobby, what happened to your arm?" She asked, frowning.  
  
"Hmm?" Bobby looked down at his arms, noticing the large gash along the side of his elbow she was referring to. "Oh, that. It's nothing, just a little cut."  
  
Claire set the file down and came over to look at his arm. "Are you sure, it looks deep, it may need some stitches."  
  
Darien tried not to chuckle as he watched Bobby flex the arm the Claire was looking at.  
  
"Nah, it looks worse than it is. It'll be fine." Bobby insisted.  
  
"Well, at least let me clean it up and bandage it for you." She motioned him into the chair.  
  
Bobby sat down with a sigh. When Claire turned her back to get some medical supplies Darien took the opportunity to tease Bobby, making flexing motions with his right arm. Bobby made a rude gesture back and ignored him. Both were smiling pleasantly again by the time Claire turned back around.  
  
"So how did you manage this?" She asked, cleaning off the wound.  
  
"I scraped it on a broken window." He answered, eyeing Darien to see if he was going to add any commentary. Darien just smirked at him.  
  
"Well, I know you had a tetanus booster last year, so you should be ok. I'll just put some antiseptic on it and a bandage and you'll be set." She finished her work and patted him gently on the shoulder. "There you go, good as new."  
  
"Great. Then we'll get out of here." Bobby started to slide off the chair.  
  
"Hey Claire, aren't you forgetting something?" Darien asked. "What about your new policy?"  
  
"Oh yes! I was so anxious to get back to my research that I almost forgot." She held her arms out to Bobby. He looked suspiciously at her, then to Darien, then back to her. "It's my new policy." She explained. "I'm sick of everyone hating this chair, so from now on everyone who takes a seat in it gets a hug."  
  
Bobby smiled and hugged her, grinning at Darien over her shoulder. Darien gave him the thumbs up. Claire gave him one last squeeze before starting to pull away. Bobby slid off the chair, walked a few steps away, got a devilish grin, turned, and hopped back up on the chair, looking expectantly at Claire. With a roll of her eyes, she gave him another hug, squealing a little as he pressed as much of his body as he could against her. She finally pulled away with a chuckle. Bobby slid off the chair again, and turned to look at her.  
  
"NO!" She told him, the smile on her face taking away the harshness of her command. "Now go!" She ordered, pointing at the door.  
  
Both men started laughing and went for the door.  
  
"Don't say I never did anything for you." Darien told Bobby.  
  
"I'll even buy you lunch for that."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Indian giver."  
  
"Thief."  
  
Claire shook her head at the playful banter before going back to her perusal of the file, wondering to herself when Bobby had put on that much muscle. 


End file.
